Systems and methods of gathering and transmitting golf tournament information

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods of gathering and transmitting golf tournament information, including a server configured to receive data from a plurality of portable devices carried by spotters of the golf tournament, the data being entered by the spotters into their respective portable devices in real time during the golf tournament, the data being related to the status of golf balls played by particular players after the balls have been hit by the players, the server being configured to selectively transmit at least some of the collected data to another portable device in a format permitting display according to pre-formatted screens.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/354,758 filed on Mar. 15, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/633,248 filed on Jun. 26, 2017, now U.S. Pat.No. 10,270,552, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/231,686 filed on Sep. 13, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,806,832, whichclaims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/382,203 filedon Sep. 13, 2010, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated byreference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present general inventive concept relates generally to aninformation gathering, processing, and broadcasting system, and moreparticularly, to a sports information gathering, processing, andbroadcasting system capable of gathering player and game informationfrom a sporting event such as a golf tournament, processing thatinformation, and broadcasting the information over a network to handhelddevices carried by spectators of the sporting event.

BACKGROUND

It is desirable for spectators of sporting events, such as golftournaments, to monitor player and game/tournament information duringthe sporting event. However, during certain events such as golftournaments, it is difficult for spectators to get real-time informationabout the status players who may be located a great distance away fromwhere the spectator is watching, or may not be visible at all. Moreover,due to tournament restrictions, spectators may be limited in the amountof access they have to the proximity of the players and surrounding golfcourse. Thus, spectators are limited in the amount of real-timeinformation they can get about a particular player and his status, andhow each player is doing relative to others during the course of thetournament, or on particular holes.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present general inventive concept provide systems andmethods of gathering, processing, and broadcasting real-time informationof the sporting event to portable devices carried by spectators of thesporting event.

Embodiments of the present general inventive concept provide systems andmethods of gathering and transmitting golf tournament information fordisplay on portable devices according to pre-formatted screens.

Example embodiments of the present general inventive concept can beachieved by providing a system of gathering and transmitting golftournament information, including a server configured to receive firstdata input into a first portable device by a first spotter of the golftournament, the first spotter being associated with a first player ofthe golf tournament, wherein the first data is related to status of afirst golf ball played by the first player at a first location on a golfcourse after the first golf ball has been hit by the first player, thefirst data constituting data entered into the first portable device bythe spotter in real time during the golf tournament, the server beingconfigured to receive second data input into a second portable device bya second spotter of the golf tournament, the first spotter beingassociated with a second player of the golf tournament, wherein thesecond data is related to status of a second golf ball played by thesecond player at a second location of the golf course after the secondgolf ball has been hit by the second player, the second dataconstituting data entered into the second portable device by the spotterin real time during the golf tournament, the first location beingdifferent than the second location, wherein the server is configured toreceive the first and second data from the first and second portabledevices in real time after the first and second data has been input tothe first and second devices, respectively, and wherein the server isconfigured to selectively transmit at least some of one or more of thefirst and second data to a third portable device in a format permittingthe third portable device to display the selectively transmitted dataaccording to pre-formatted screens.

Example embodiments of the present general inventive concept can also beachieved by providing a method of gathering and transmitting golftournament information, including receiving first data from a firstportable device associated with a first spotter of the golf tournament,the first spotter being associated with a first player of the golftournament, wherein the first data is related to status of a first golfball played by the first player at a first location on a golf courseafter the first golf ball has been hit by the first player, the firstdata being input to the first portable device by the first spotter inreal time during the golf tournament, receiving second data from asecond portable device associated with a second spotter of the golftournament, the second spotter being associated with a second player ofthe golf tournament, wherein the second data is related to status of asecond golf ball played by the second player at a second location of thegolf course after the second golf ball has been hit by the secondplayer, the second data being input to the second portable device by thesecond spotter in real time during the golf tournament, wherein thefirst location is different than the second location, and selectivelytransmitting at least some of one or more of the first and second datato a third portable device in a format permitting the third portabledevice to display selectively transmitted data according topre-formatted screens.

Additional features and embodiments of the present general inventiveconcept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and,in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned bypractice of the present general inventive concept.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following example embodiments are representative of exampletechniques and structures designed to carry out the features of thepresent general inventive concept, but the present general inventiveconcept is not limited to these example embodiments. Moreover, in theaccompanying drawings and illustrations, the sizes and relative sizes,shapes, and qualities of lines, entities, and regions may be exaggeratedfor clarity. A wide variety of additional embodiments will be morereadily understood and appreciated through the following detaileddescription of the example embodiments, with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a welcome screen displayed on a portable deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept;

FIG. 2 illustrates an instruction screen displayed on a portable deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept;

FIG. 3 illustrates a home screen displayed on a portable device afterexiting the instruction screen or upon touching the Tournament Logobutton on any screen according to an example embodiment of the presentgeneral inventive concept;

FIG. 4 illustrates a player selection menu produced after selecting the“PLAYER STATUS AND INFORMATION” button on the home page menu accordingto an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 5 illustrates a player selection sub-menu produced after selectinga letter corresponding to the last name of a player on the playerselection menu (FIG. 4) including all the players in the field whoselast name begins with the selected letter according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative player selection sub-menu producedafter selecting a letter corresponding to the last name of a player onthe player selection menu including all the players in the field whoselast name begins with the selected letter according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 7 illustrates a player status screen produced after selecting aplayer from a player selection sub-menu according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 8 illustrates a player biography screen produced after selectingthe BIO button on the player status screen according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 9 illustrates a player scorecard screen produced after selectingthe “SCORECARD” button on the player status screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 10 illustrates a players equipment screen produced after selectingthe “WHAT'S IN HIS BAG” button of the player status screen according toan example embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 11 illustrates a hole activity screen including information aboutthe location of the player's golf ball on the golf course produced afterselecting the “WHERE IS HE” icon on the player status screen accordingto an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 12 illustrates a bubble view including a photo image from thecurrent location of the player produced after selecting the player'sball on the hole activity screen according to an example embodiment ofthe present general inventive concept;

FIG. 13 illustrates a course hole selection screen produced by selectingthe “CURRENT COURSE ACTION” button on the home screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 14 illustrates an course hole selection screen produced byselecting the “COURSE & HOLE INFORMATION” button on the home screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept, including a button to see statistics for all holes;

FIG. 15 illustrates a hole diagram and strategy screen, which includescurrent statistics for that hole, produced by selecting a correspondinghole button on the course hole selection screen according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 16 illustrates a hole history screen produced by selecting the“HOLE HISTORY” button on the hole diagram and strategy screen accordingto an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 17 illustrates a player comments screen produced by selecting the“PLAYER COMMENTS” button on the hole diagram and strategy screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept;

FIG. 18 illustrates a scoreboard screen produced by selecting the“SCORES, TRENDS, PAIRINGS” button on the home screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 19 illustrates a trends screen produced by selecting the “TRENDS”button on the scoreboard screen according to an example embodiment ofthe present general inventive concept;

FIG. 20 illustrates a pairings by tee time screen produced by selectingthe “PAIRINGS” button on the scoreboard screen according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 21 illustrates a pairings by name screen produced by selecting the“BY NAME” button on the pairings by tee time screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 22 illustrates a hole rankings screen produced by selecting the“Touch here to see statistics for all holes” button on the course holeselection screen of FIG. 14 according to an example embodiment of thepresent general inventive concept;

FIG. 23 illustrates a roars of the course screen including informationabout certain exceptional tournament activity produced after selectingthe “ROARS OF THE COURSE” button on the home screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 24 illustrates a roars video screen showing a replay video,provided by the television broadcaster of the corresponding roars eventaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept;

FIG. 25 illustrates a messages, history, personal screen produced byselecting the “NEWS, HISTORY, PERSONAL” button on the home screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept;

FIG. 26 illustrates a friend locator screen produced by selecting the“LOCATE FRIENDS” button on the messages, history, personal screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept;

FIG. 27 illustrates a personal messages screen produced by selecting the“YOU HAVE A PERSONAL MESSAGE” button on the messages, history, personalscreen according to an example embodiment of the present generalinventive concept;

FIG. 28 illustrates a tournament history screen produced by selectingthe “TOURNAMENT HISTORY” button on the messages, history, personalscreen according to an example embodiment of the present generalinventive concept;

FIG. 29 illustrates a champions by year screen produced by selecting the“CHAMPIONS BY YEAR” button on the messages, history, personal screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept;

FIG. 30 illustrates a champions by name screen produced by selecting the“CHAMPIONS BY NAME” button on the messages, history, personal screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept;

FIGS. 31A and 31B are a flow chart illustrating example routinesperformed by the portable device configured according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept; and

FIG. 32 is a block diagram illustrating representative components of awireless network configured in accordance with an example embodiment ofthe present general inventive concept, including, a data input (spotter)module, a production/processing module, and a user (patron) module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to example embodiments of the present generalinventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and illustrations. The example embodiments are described hereinin order to explain the present general inventive concept by referringto the figures.

Embodiments of the present general inventive concept can be implementedin connection with a commercially available portable device to provide areal time, interactive, information system to transmit information tospectators of a sporting event. Some embodiments provide a sportsinformation gathering, processing, and broadcasting system capable ofgathering player and game/tournament information from a sporting event,such as a golf tournament, and then processing and broadcasting theinformation over a network to handheld devices carried by spectators ofthe sporting event to better inform the spectators about the game, forexample by providing information about the players, results, and statusof the game, in real time. It is noted that although the exampleembodiments of the present general inventive concept described hereinare directed to gathering, processing, and broadcasting information froma golf tournament, the devices, techniques, and methods of the presentgeneral inventive concept are not limited to golf tournaments, and canbe applied to any type of sporting event, such as football games,baseball games, automobile races, and the like, or non-sporting events,where real-time information, status, and/or results from the event aredesired by spectators or patrons of the event.

It is noted that the following detailed description may recite variousdescriptive terms such as horizontal, vertical, top, bottom, upward,downward, left, right, etc., when referring to the exemplary figures,but the present general inventive concept is not limited to any suchterms or physical orientations. Such terms are used for convenience ofdescription only, and could be reversed, modified, or interchangedwithout departing from the broader scope and spirit of the presentgeneral inventive concept.

Referring to the example embodiments illustrated herein, a number ofdifferent ways of operation can be used. The drawings provided as partof this patent application generally depict an interactive displayapparatus and method operating within a portable handheld device whichcan be carried by a spectator of a golf tournament to receive varioustypes of game and player information resulting from the golf tournamentover a wireless communication network covering the bounds of the golfcourse. For example, the portable device can receive and transmit MESHsignals using 802.11n technology with integrated RF intelligence. Theportable device can be configured to process, store, and display data inpre-formatted screens, such as the example display screens illustratedherein.

The portable device can include GPS capabilities to provide locationinformation to the user. In some embodiments, the portable device cancommunicate with a GPS communication unit, such as but not limited toGPS satellites, to acquire GPS data such as latitude, longitude, speed,and direction of the portable unit. Other methods of communicating withGPS devices may be chosen with sound engineering judgment to providereal time location information to the portable unit. For example, theportable device can communicate with a variety of known or laterdeveloped GPS communication devices, such as cell phone towers, repeaterstations, or other types of communication systems chosen with soundengineering judgment to provide location information to the portabledevice. In some embodiments, a GPS survey or map of the course prior tothe tournament can be made to collect and record relevant geographicaland/or topographical data pertaining to a particular golf course forinput to the portable devices. This mapping data can be used toaccurately portray hole representations and ball locations, and togenerate a coverage map of the golf course, enabling the broadcastingsystem to track the location of a selected golfer around the golfcourse, based on GPS information, and view the location of selectedplayers, or other patrons who are carrying a similar portable device,for example.

Embodiments of the present general inventive concept include a spottermodule, a production module, and a patron module. These modulescommunicate via an advanced computer network, for example a privatelocal broadband data wireless area network (MESH). The spotter moduleallows one or more spotters on the golf course to capture and input datato the network using the portable device described herein, andconfigured to receive inputs from the spotters on the golf course toperform the spotter functions. The information is obtained frompersonnel (spotters) who have special permitted access to the course andplayers in order to track the location and distance of a player's balls,including special knowledge regarding status of the event, for example,club selection, lie of the ball, condition of ball, distance frommarkers, length of putt, order of play, scores, etc., thus enabling thespotters to input information using the spotter's portable device to thenetwork for transmission to the patron portable devices, in as real-timeas possible, to enhance, not replace, the patron's overall tournamentenjoyment and experience. The information input by the spotters is alsosuitable for broadcast on TV. As used herein, the term ‘spotter’ refersto any person or thing, typically authorized by the sporting event,which has been granted access to the participants and/or event venue toprovide detailed reports of outcomes of the sporting event, such as butnot limited to spotters deployed by television broadcasters to followprofessional golfers around a golf course during tournament play toreport on status of the player's ball or other status of the playerand/or golf tournament.

The production module collects, processes, organizes, and distributesthe information for display on the portable hand held devices andprogrammed for the spectator functions. The patron module responds inreal-time to inquiries of the patrons of the tournament using theportable devices to selectively display various information of interest.The patron portable devices can be issued by tournament organizers orsponsors, and the devices can be configured to display sponsorshipmessages, in addition to tournament information, for advertisementpurposes. The distribution hardware (e.g., MESH network) is virtuallyinvisible, and the operation of the portable devices by the patrons isrelatively silent and does not emit disruptive noise or flashes. Theportable devices are relatively small and discrete, and can be easilyidentified as authorized units on the golf course.

The interactive handheld device can receive information gathered fromthe spotter transmitter and can communicate the information to aspectator carrying the handheld device via wireless communicationnetwork. Data such as course information, player results, and statusinformation can be transmitted from the spotter transmitter to thepatron module via a suitable wireless network, such as 802.11 a/b/g andor IEEE 802.11n standards, or other known or later developedcommunication technologies, including, but not limited to, EnterpriseWireless Mesh systems (Mesh) and other broadband wireless technologies.

The information and data entered by the spotter can be reviewed,processed, and displayed by the production module where decisions can bemade by a network engineer and/or a member of the golf eventbroadcasting crew as to whether and/or when to transmit the input datafrom the input spotter module for instance recall for television (TV)production or other broadcast activities. For example, the techniques,apparatuses, and methods of the present general inventive concept makeit possible to process the gathered sports information for instancedistribution to a patron module, i.e., patrons who are carrying aportable device in communication with the Mesh or other wireless networkcovering the golf event in accordance with the present general inventiveconcept. The portable devices provide instant access for queries andreceipt of information, are unobtrusive, handle a volume oftransmissions generated by a gallery information system, and are notdependent on outside infrastructures for operation. For example, unlikeknown verbal or audible transmission systems that cannot simultaneouslyhandle inputs from a number of spotters covering every player in thefield, leading to large latency problems in delivering the data topatrons in real time, the systems and methods of the present generalinventive concept have the capacity to gather, process, and distributeinformation from spotters covering all players in the fieldsimultaneously, making the present system as real-time as possible indistributing information to patrons regarding all players in the field,either on demand or otherwise (i.e., force-fed to the portable devices),depending on the nature of the information.

The portable devices of the spotters and patrons may or may not be thesame type of commercially available device. In some embodiments, thespotter module can include a spotter transmitter device, for example anApple iPod Touch® or similar handheld device, which can be carried by aspotter who walks the golf course, usually with a specified group ofgolfers, and inputs information about the status and results of theplayers in the group for transmission over the network. For example, thespotter can input information about the location, condition, and “lie”of a particular player's ball, the order of play of various players inthe group, club selection of players, condition of ball, and other realtime events regarding status of the game, course conditions, or anyother game activity. The portable device carried by the patrons in thepatron module can be a similar handheld device having a user interfaceand display screen to selectively display tournament informationgathered from the spotters, as well as other information available fromany number of sources, for example, weather information, courseinformation, messages and/or information, current or stored, availableto the network. In the example embodiments the portable devices aresoftware-based programmable units, with touch buttons as opposed tofixed hardware buttons. The spotter's units can be enhanced to includeGPS capability via additional equipment and/or connections, and thepatron portable devices can be uniquely configured to make queries ofthe production or command module.

In the example embodiments described and illustrated herein, theportable devices are configured to receive and transmit MESH signals(802.11n technology with integrated RF intelligence) or similar signals,processes data, store data, and display data in pre-formatted screens.In some embodiments, the circuitry of the portable device used by thespotter is programmed to record and transmit various characteristics,such as but not limited to golfers appearance, golfers equipment,golfers ball general location, golfers ball GPS location, golfers ballcondition, golfers strokes as they occur, golfers penalty strokes, theclub which Golfers are to use, and time periods of golfers next actions.The information is a real-time as possible as the information does notrely on any outside infrastructure and only uses an infrastructurewholly contained on the grounds of the tournament of in close proximitythereto.

In some embodiments, the production module includes one or more on-site,centrally located computer servers, processors, and interface equipmentto receive and transmit MESH signals (802.11n technology with integratedRF intelligence) or similar signals to and from about 20,000 portabledevices. However, the present general inventive concept is not limitedto any particular number or type of portable devices, or to anyparticular type of communications network. In some embodiments, theproduction module receives, processes, and stores the informationtransmitted by the spotter module, displays the information intelevision control studios, and transmits the processed information tothe portable devices of the patron module as the information isavailable and/or when requested by users of the portable devices.

Typically, a MESH (802.11n technology with integrated RF intelligence)or similar network, properly configured, can be expected to cover alarge area (e.g., up to about 500 acres) for the transmission of data toand from the various components, for example, the spotter, production,and patron modules. The display screens can be implemented oncommercially available hand held devices suitable to receive MESHsignals (802.11n technology with integrated RF intelligence) or similarsignals, configured to process, store, and display the data inpre-formatted screens, including logos, advertisements, or other visualrepresentations.

FIG. 1 illustrates a welcome screen displayed on a portable deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept. As illustrated in the accompanying figures, the welcome screensets the tone and style of the portable device menu screens, and can beconfigured to reflect the motif and traditions of a particulartournament, including a tournament logo. In some embodiments, thewelcome screen can be displayed for a predetermined amount of time whenthe portable device is first turned on and can automatically transitionto another screen, such as the instruction screen of FIG. 2. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, the welcome screen can include information suchas event and sponsor names, logos, event pictures, and other graphicsdisplay areas.

FIG. 2 illustrates an instruction screen displayed on a portable deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept. The instruction screen can be automatically retrieved by theWelcome Screen display, or can be retrieved by touching a selected areaof the welcome screen. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the instruction screenis configured to display instructions for operation of the systemdisplay area, and can include an Instruction Screen exit button.

FIG. 3 illustrates a home screen displayed on a portable device afterexiting the instruction screen or upon touching the Tournament Logobutton on any screen as related on the instruction screen and accordingto an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. Asillustrated in FIG. 3, the home screen includes a Player Status andInformation function selection button and picture, Current Course Actionfunction selection button and picture, Course & Hole Informationfunction selection button and picture, Scores, Trends, Pairings functionselection button and picture, Roars of the Course function selectionbutton and picture, and News, History, Personal function selectionbutton and picture.

FIG. 4 illustrates a player selection menu produced after selecting the“PLAYER STATUS AND INFORMATION” button on the home page menu accordingto an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. Upontouching the button, a player menu screen appears on the display screenof the portable device. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the user can selectthe first letter of the last name of a player of the golf tournament,which in turn will cause a player selection sub-menu to appear listingall of the players whose name begins with the selected letter, asillustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. It is noted that all of the menus andscreens displayed on the portable device can include advertising areasto communicate advertising messages and information to the patron. Eachof the menus and screens can be individually or collectively sponsoredfor fees. It is also possible to communicate real-time alerts, forexample weather alerts, to the patrons via the wireless network andhandheld devices. The information presented in all the menus can bederived from data inputted through the spotter module, the productionmodule, system memory, or any other suitable transmission means, and/orcombinations thereof. The screen can include instructions for selectionof a player. For example, to view a player's status, the user can selectthe first letter of the player's last name. In some embodiments, thescreen includes buttons to retrieve all players with last namesbeginning with the associated letter, although the buttons could beimplemented to provide a list of all players displayed with an upward ordownward figure swap on the display area, which swaps would arrange thenames in alphabetical order.

FIG. 5 illustrates a player selection sub-menu produced after selectinga letter corresponding to the last name of a player on the playerselection menu including all the players in the field whose last namebegins with the selected letter according to an example embodiment ofthe present general inventive concept. The user can select a player bytouching his name. In some embodiments, the screen displays the letterof the alphabet after which all players whose last name begins with thatletter, the names of the players whose last name begins with theselected letter, as well as the next letter of the alphabet that followsthe letter shown, space permitting. The screen can include instructionsfor scrolling the screen to reveal additional letters and players. Forexample, a scroll function using a finger swipe to display additionalplayers or pairings.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative player selection sub-menu producedafter selecting a letter corresponding to the last name of a player onthe player selection menu including all the players in the field whoselast name begins with the selected letter according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept. The user can selecta player by touching his name or picture

In some embodiments, the screens include player information producedafter selecting a particular player on the player selection sub-menu.This option enables a user to access a variety of information about aparticular player, such as real-time tournament results entered andtransmitted by a spotter of the golf tournament over the network using aspotter transmitter, and/or pre-programmed information such as clubinformation and/or endorsements of the player stored in memory.

FIG. 7 illustrates a player status screen produced after selecting aplayer from a player selection menu according to an example embodimentof the present general inventive concept. This option enables a user toaccess a variety of information about a particular player, such asreal-time tournament results entered and transmitted by a spotter of thegolf tournament over the network using a spotter transmitter device,and/or pre-programmed information such as club information and/orendorsements of the player stored in memory. For example, as illustratedin FIG. 7, the screen can include the name and picture of the playerselected by the player selection screen, a flag of the home country ofthe selected player, the tee time and playing partner(s) of the selectedplayer, the player's current score relative to par, last hole completed,and ranking in the tournament.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 11, the player status screen can include abutton labeled His Score Cards to recall scorecards for each round ofthe selected player, a button labeled Where is He Now to recall a screenshowing a graphic representation of the hole on which the selectedplayer is currently playing, and a graphic representation of where theplayer is located on that hole. The screen can also include a buttonlabeled What's in His Bag to recall a screen showing the clubs andequipment carried by the selected player and a button labeled BIO torecall a screen showing the player's biographical information.

FIG. 8 illustrates a player biography screen produced after selectingthe BIO button on the player status screen according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept. The screen caninclude the name and picture of the player selected by the playerselection screen and a flag of the home country of the selected player.The biographical information can include, but is not limited to, playinghistory, top finishes, and event entry parameters of the selectedplayer.

FIG. 9 illustrates a player scorecard screen produced after selectingthe “SCORECARD” button on the player status screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept. Thescorecard screen can include the name of the selected player, the scorerelative to par for the tournament and the current round, and totalstrokes for the selected player. In some embodiments, the scorecardscreen can include a front nine holes scorecard and a back nine holesscorecard for all days of play for the selected player. The scores canbe color coded. For example, different colors can be used for differentscores relative to par. This option enables the patron to view thereal-time scores of a selected golfer, even if the patron is notfollowing the golfer or otherwise cannot view the tournament scoreboardsfrom his location on the golf course. It also provides for number ofstrokes taken by the player on the current hole, even before the hole iscompleted.

FIG. 10 illustrates a players equipment screen produced after selectingthe “WHAT'S IN HIS BAG” button of the player status screen according toan example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. Thisoption enables the user to view information about the equipment beingcarried in the player's bag, such as the number and type of clubs, clubmanufacturer, ball manufacturer, and the like. This information can bepre-programmed into the system based on information provided by thegolfer or otherwise available to the system prior to play, and againdemonstrates the possibility of screen sponsorship and/or endorsementsfor display on the portable device.

FIG. 11 illustrates a hole activity screen including information aboutthe player's location on the golf course produced after selecting the“WHERE IS HE” icon on the player status screen according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept. As illustrated inFIG. 11, the screen can include a graphic representation of the coursehole a selected player is currently playing, the playing partner of theselected player, the name, number, and description of the course holethe selected player is currently playing, and the like. Here, thedevices of the present general inventive concept can be configured toincorporate, collect, record, and input relevant data pertaining to aparticular golf course to the portable devices, and utilize thatinformation to generate a coverage map of the golf course, enabling thebroadcasting system to track the location of a selected golfer aroundthe golf course, based on GPS information, and view the location ofselected players, or other patrons who are carrying a similar portabledevice. The patron may also retrieve additional information about theplayers and the hole shown on the hole activity screen without having toreturn to the home screen by touching the name of the players or thehole on the hole activity screen.

FIG. 12 illustrates a bubble view including a photo image from thecurrent location of the player produced after touching the player's ballon the hole activity screen according to an example embodiment of thepresent general inventive concept. In some embodiments, the photographicimage from the current location of a player and can be rotated 360degrees on the horizontal axis and 45 degrees on the vertical axis,although the present general inventive concept is not limited to anyparticular degree.

FIG. 13 illustrates a course hole selection screen produced by selectingthe “CURRENT COURSE ACTION” button on the home screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept. In order toview the activity at a specific hole, the user is instructed to touch acorresponding button on the course hole selection screen. Here, it ispossible to incorporate maps of the golf course in conjunction withreal-time information inputted to the system by spotters to presentreal-time information regarding the status of players on a particularhole. Buttons are provided to retrieve individual hole information withhole number, distance, and par labels for each hole.

FIG. 14 illustrates a course hole selection screen produced by selectingthe “COURSE AND HOLE INFO” button on the home screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept, including abutton to see statistics for all holes.

FIG. 15 illustrates a hole diagram and strategy screen produced byselecting a corresponding hole button on the course hole selectionscreen (FIG. 14) according to an example embodiment of the presentgeneral inventive concept. As illustrated in FIG. 15, the screenincludes a graphic representation of the course hole selected, currentstatistics for that particular hole, a pre-stored narrative of variousstrategies for playing the selected hole, a button for retrieving thehole history, and a button for retrieving the player's comments on thehole.

FIG. 16 illustrates a hole history screen produced by selecting the“HOLE HISTORY” button on the hole diagram and strategy screen accordingto an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. Thisoption enables the user to view the number, name, par rating, distance,and history of a selected hole.

FIG. 17 illustrates a player comments screen produced by selecting the“PLAYER COMMENTS” button on the hole diagram and strategy screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept. This option enables the user to view the number, name, parrating, distance, and comments by players of a selected.

FIG. 18 illustrates a scoreboard screen produced by selecting the“SCORES, TRENDS, PAIRINGS” button on the home screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept. Asillustrated in FIG. 18, the scoreboard screen can include an eventpicture or graphics display area, for example, to display an iconicscoreboard of the event. The scores of the players can be sorted frombest to worse scores, indicating a player's position in the tournament,scores relative to par, and the last hole completed for each player. Inthe embodiment of FIG. 18, ten players are displayed at one time, with abutton to recall the next ten players. The screen includes a button toretrieve the trend graph of leading players, and a button to retrievethe pairings of players by either tee time or alphabetical order.

FIG. 19 illustrates a trends screen produced by selecting the “TRENDS”button on the scoreboard screen according to an example embodiment ofthe present general inventive concept. In this embodiment, the trendsscreen includes a graph of the leading and/or selected players.

FIG. 20 illustrates a pairings by tee time screen produced by selectingthe “PAIRINGS” button on the scoreboard screen according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept. This option enablesthe user to touch a button to retrieve a pairing by name screen (FIG.21). The list of player pairings by tee time can be scrolled up or downwith a corresponding swipe of a finger on the screen, includinginstructions for scrolling the page with a scroll for more pairings.

FIG. 21 illustrates a pairings by name screen produced by selecting the“BY NAME” button on the pairings by tee time screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

FIG. 22 illustrates a hole rankings screen produced by selecting the“Touch here to see statistics for all holes” button on the alternativecourse hole selection screen of FIG. 14 according to an exampleembodiment of the present general inventive concept. As illustrated inFIG. 22, the hole rankings screen can display a table of statistics withthe following headings for columns: Hole, Aces, Eagles, Birdie, Pars,Bogeys, Others, Rank, and where Aces, Eagles, and Rank are in absolutevalues and all other values are percentages. In this embodiment, allholes are represented by one line, as is the total of all holes.

FIG. 23 illustrates a roars of the course screen including informationabout certain exceptional tournament activity produced after selectingthe “ROARS OF THE COURSE” button on the home screen according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept. Here, theuser can press the “ROARS OF THE COURSE” button on the home page,causing the roar alert page to appear on the screen, displaying notableevents and/or results from the golf tournament or other sporting eventto the user. For example, the user can view the time of informationposting, together with a table of significant tournament events (shots)with the following headings for columns: WHEN, WHO, WHERE, WHAT, SEE.The user can see the age of the event in minutes from the posting time,who is the player making the shot, where is the hole where the eventhappened, what is a short narrative of the event, and can retrieve andview a video of the event by selecting a button to retrieve a video ofthe event (FIG. 24). The screen can include a MORE ROARS button todisplay additional notable events.

FIG. 24 illustrates a roars video screen showing a replay video of thecorresponding roars event according to an example embodiment of thepresent general inventive concept. In some embodiments, the productionmodule can transmit a television video replay of the corresponding eventto the patron portable device.

FIG. 25 illustrates a messages, history, personal screen produced byselecting the “NEWS, HISTORY, PERSONAL” button on the home screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept. Here, it is possible to communicate various public service,weather related, tournament host directed information, or otherannouncements of concern to the user. For example, the screen caninclude an area for messages from the tournament officials, a button toretrieve Tournament History, a button to retrieve tournament Championsby Year, a button to retrieve tournament Champions by Name, a button toretrieve personal messages, and a button to retrieve a friend's locationscreen.

FIG. 26 illustrates a friend locator screen produced by selecting the“LOCATE FRIENDS” button on the messages, history, personal screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept. Using GPS capability of the handheld device programmed for andissued to patrons, this option enables the user to view a graphicrepresentation of the golf course with letter labels indicating theposition of selected individuals. For example, individuals thatregistered with the tournament officials could be programmed into aparticular portable device to enable the portable device to track thepre-registered patrons during the tournament.

FIG. 27 illustrates a personal messages screen produced by selecting the“YOU HAVE A PERSONAL MESSAGE” button on the messages, history, personalscreen according to an example embodiment of the present generalinventive concept. For example, email or voice messages for the user arere-directed to the unit using the user's personal e-mail address. Thescreen includes a respond button that retrieves a typing into the screento respond to the author of the original message. The tournament hostcan limit the use of messages received and transmitted as it wishes.

FIG. 28 illustrates a tournament history screen produced by selectingthe “TOURNAMENT HISTORY” button on the messages, history, personalscreen according to an example embodiment of the present generalinventive concept. In this embodiment, the screen displays apredetermined narrative history of the Club and Tournament.

FIG. 29 illustrates a champions by year screen produced by selecting the“CHAMPIONS BY YEAR” button on the messages, history, personal screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept, including a list of previous tournament champions sorted byyear.

FIG. 30 illustrates a champions by name screen produced by selecting the“CHAMPIONS BY NAME” button on the messages, history, personal screenaccording to an example embodiment of the present general inventiveconcept, including a list of previous tournament champions sorted byname.

FIGS. 31A and 31B are a flow chart illustrating example routinesperformed by circuitry of the portable device configured according to anexample embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

FIG. 32 is a block diagram illustrating representative components of awireless network configured in accordance with an example embodiment ofthe present general inventive concept, including, a data input (spotter)module, a production/processing module, and a user (patron) module.

As described herein, the present general inventive concept canincorporate Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, alone or incombination with wireless triangulation techniques for greater accuracy,to provide location information about a particular golfer or activity.The GPS information can be accessed, processed and transmitted in knownways via the wireless network to provide location and movementinformation about the golf course and players to the handheld devicecarried by the patrons. Using GPS technology, it is possible to collectand record relevant data pertaining to a particular golf course, aheadof time, to generate a coverage map of the golf course. This data canthen be incorporated into the functions of the present gathering andbroadcasting system to enable the patron to track the location ofgolfers around the golf course, based on the GPS information, using thehandheld device. The handheld devices used by the spotters and thepatrons may or may not be the same device with merely differentprogramming. However, if they are the same device, the GPS capabilitiesof spotter's device would be enhanced for greater accuracy in locatingthe position of the ball of a player by incorporating additionalhardware, which may be connected to the handheld device by wire orwirelessly.

Embodiments of the present general inventive concept can be achieved byproviding a system of gathering, processing, and distributinginformation of a golf tournament over a wireless network, including afirst portable device configured to be carried by a spotter of the golftournament, the spotter having special permitted access to a golf courseof the golf tournament and to participants of the golf tournament, thefirst portable device including a map of the golf course, the firstportable device being configured to receive input data from the spotterregarding status of a selected player's golf ball during the golftournament in real time after the golf ball has been hit by the selectedplayer on a current hole of the selected player, the first portabledevice being configured to present information regarding the locationand distance of the selected player's ball relative to the map of thegolf course in real time after the ball has been hit by the selectedplayer, the input data including information pertaining to the lie andthe condition of the golf ball being tracked by the spotter and theselected player's strokes as they occur, the first portable device beingconfigured to distribute the input data over the wireless network inreal time during the golf tournament, a second portable deviceconfigured to be carried by a user viewing the golf tournament toreceive distributed input data over the wireless network, and toselectively display current statistics pertaining to the selected holeand graphical representations of the distributed input data according toan input from the user, the second portable device being configured todisplay pre-programmed information provided to the second portabledevice including endorsement information of manufacturers of equipmentused by the respective participants of the golf tournament, and aproduction module configured to receive distributed input data over thewireless network simultaneously from a plurality of spotters coveringvarious players of the golf tournament, the production module beingconfigured to display distributed input data so as to selectivelydistribute at least a portion of the distributed input data to anexternal television network based on characteristics of displayed inputdata, the production module having a processing module connected betweenthe production module and the wireless network, the processing modulebeing configured to receive data requests over the wireless networksimultaneously from a plurality of second portable devices and todistribute requested data to each second portable device over thewireless network based on received data requests from each secondportable device, respectively.

Embodiments of the present general inventive concept can also beachieved by a method of gathering, processing, and distributinginformation of a golf tournament over a wireless network, includingproviding a first portable device to be carried by a spotter of the golftournament, the first portable device including a map of the golfcourse, the spotter having special permitted access to a golf course ofthe golf tournament and to participants of the golf tournament,inputting data by the spotter to the first portable device regardingstatus of a player's golf ball during the golf tournament in real timeafter the golf ball has been hit by the player on a current hole of theplayer, the first portable device being configured to presentinformation regarding the location and distance of the player's ballrelative to the map of the golf course in real time after the ball hasbeen hit by the player, the input data including information pertainingto the lie and the condition of the golf ball being tracked by thespotter and the player's strokes as they occur, distributing input dataover the wireless network to a second portable device carried by a userin real time during the golf tournament, the second portable devicebeing configured to display endorsement information provided to thesecond portable device including endorsements of respective participantsof the golf tournament by manufacturers of equipment used by therespective participants of the golf tournament, distributing input dataover the wireless network to a production module simultaneously from aplurality of spotters covering various players of the golf tournament,the production module being configured to display distributed input dataso as to selectively distribute a portion of the transmitted input datato an external television network based on characteristics of displayedinput data, the production module having a processing module connectedbetween the production module and the wireless network, the processingmodule configured to receive data requests over the wireless networksimultaneously from a plurality of second portable devices and todistribute requested data to each second portable device over thewireless network based on received data requests from each secondportable device, respectively, and selectively displaying graphicalrepresentations of the transmitted data and endorsement information onthe second portable device according to inquiries of the user.

Embodiments of the present general inventive concept can also beachieved by a method of gathering, processing, and broadcasting sportsinformation of a golf tournament over a network, including providing afirst portable device to be carried by a spotter of the golf tournament,the first portable device including a map of the golf course, thespotter having special permitted access to a golf course of the golftournament and to participants of the golf tournament, inputting data bya spotter to the first portable device regarding status of a player'sgolf ball during the golf tournament in real time after the golf ballhas been hit by the player on a current hole of the player, the firstportable device being configured to present information regarding thelocation and distance of the player's ball relative to the map of thegolf course in real time after the ball has been hit by the player, theinput data including information pertaining to the lie and the conditionof the golf ball being tracked by the spotter and the player's strokesas they occur, providing a second portable device to users viewing thegolf tournament, the second portable device being configured to displayendorsement information providing to the second portable deviceincluding endorsements of respective participants of the golf tournamentby manufacturers of equipment used by the respective participants of thegolf tournament, distributing the input data over the network to thesecond portable device in real time during the golf tournament,configuring the second portable device to accept a user input from theuser to selectively display a graphical representation of distributedinput data on the second portable device, and distributing input dataover the network to a production module simultaneously from a pluralityof spotters covering various players of the golf tournament, theproduction module being configured to display distributed input datasuch that the production module selectively distributes a portion of thedistributed input data to an external television network based oncharacteristics of displayed input data, the production module having aprocessing module connected between the production module and thenetwork, the processing module configured to receive data requests overthe wireless network simultaneously from a plurality of second portabledevices and to distribute requested data to each second portable deviceover the wireless network based on received data requests from eachsecond portable device, respectively.

Still other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled inthis art from reading the above-recited detailed description in view ofall the drawings and figures.

The present general inventive concept can be embodied ascomputer-readable codes on a computer-readable medium. Thecomputer-readable medium can include a computer-readable recordingmedium and a computer-readable transmission medium. Thecomputer-readable recording medium is any data storage device that canstore data as a program which can be thereafter read by a computersystem. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium includeread-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, DVDs,magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and optical data storage devices. Thecomputer-readable recording medium can also be distributed over networkcoupled computer systems so that the computer-readable code is storedand executed in a distributed fashion. The computer-readabletransmission medium can transmit carrier waves or signals (e.g., wiredor wireless data transmission through the Internet). Also, functionalprograms, codes, and code segments to accomplish the present generalinventive concept can be easily construed by programmers skilled in theart to which the present general inventive concept pertains.

It is noted that the simplified diagrams and drawings do not illustrateall the various connections and assemblies of the various components,however, those skilled in the art will understand how to implement suchconnections and assemblies, based on the illustrated components,figures, and descriptions provided herein. For example, it is possibleto display historical data and current location and directioninformation of the players and/or balls in order to enhance thereal-time tournament experience of the patrons.

It is also noted that numerous variations, modifications, and additionalembodiments are possible, and accordingly, all such variations,modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being within thespirit and scope of the present general inventive concept. For example,regardless of the content of any portion of this application, unlessclearly specified to the contrary, there is no requirement for theinclusion in any claim herein or of any application claiming priorityhereto of any particular described or illustrated activity or element,any particular sequence of such activities, or any particularinterrelationship of such elements. Moreover, any activity can berepeated, any activity can be performed by multiple entities, and/or anyelement can be duplicated. Accordingly, while the present generalinventive concept has been illustrated by description of several exampleembodiments, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or inany way limit the scope of the inventive concept to such descriptionsand illustrations. Instead, the descriptions, drawings, and claimsherein are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not asrestrictive, and additional embodiments will readily appear to thoseskilled in the art upon reading the above description and drawings.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system of gathering and transmitting golftournament information, comprising: a server, the server beingconfigured to: receive first player data input into at least a firsttransmitter device by at least a first spotter of the golf tournament,the first spotter being associated with at least a first player of thegolf tournament, wherein the first player data is related to status of afirst golf ball played by the first player at a first location of a golfcourse after the first golf ball has been hit by the first player; andreceive second player data input into at least a second transmitterdevice by at least a second spotter of the golf tournament, the secondspotter being associated with at least a second player of the golftournament, wherein the second player data is related to status of asecond golf ball played by the second player at a second location of thegolf course after the second golf ball has been hit by the secondplayer, the first location being different than the second location;wherein the server is configured to receive the first and second datafrom the first and second transmitter devices, and wherein the server isconfigured to selectively transmit at least some of one or more of thefirst player data and the second player data to a handheld device in aformat permitting the handheld device to display selectively transmittedplayer data according to formatted screens.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the server is configured to store historical performance data ofparticular players in the golf tournament, and to transmit thehistorical performance data to the handheld device in a formatpermitting display on the handheld device of the historical performancedata according to a formatted screen.
 3. The system of claim 2, whereinthe server is configured such that the historical performance data isderived from statistical player data transmitted to the server.
 4. Thesystem of claim 2, wherein the server is configured such that thehistorical performance data is derived from statistical player dataassociated with distance information and club selection informationrelated to particular shots of particular players of the golftournament.
 5. The system of claim 2, wherein the server is configuredsuch that historical performance data is based on statistics relating tothe total number of birdies, pars, and/or bogies scored by a particularplayer on one or more holes of the golf course.
 6. The system of claim1, wherein the server is configured to transmit endorsement informationof manufacturers of equipment used by players of the golf tournament ina format permitting display on the handheld device of the endorsementinformation according to a formatted screen.
 7. The system of claim 2,wherein the server is configured such that the historical performancedata is formatted to include comments regarding a particular hole of thegolf course from one or more players of the golf tournament for displayon the handheld device.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server isconfigured to transmit a map of the golf course for display on thehandheld device such that at least one of the formatted screens isconfigured to display location and distance information of at least oneof the first golf ball and the second golf ball relative to the map onthe handheld device.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the server isconfigured to receive video footage associated with a notable shot by aparticular player in the golf tournament, and to transmit the videofootage for display on the handheld device upon the server receiving arequest from the handheld device.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein theserver is configured such that one or more portions of the first andsecond data are transmitted by the server to the handheld device fordisplay on the handheld device upon the server receiving a request fromthe handheld device.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the server isconfigured such that one or more portions of the first and second dataare transmitted by the server to the handheld device for display on thehandheld device in real time during the golf tournament.
 12. A method ofgathering and transmitting golf tournament information, comprising:receiving first player data from at least a first transmitter deviceassociated with at least a first spotter of the golf tournament, thefirst spotter being associated with at least a first player of the golftournament, wherein the first player data is related to status of afirst golf ball played by the first player at a first location of a golfcourse after the first golf ball has been hit by the first player;receiving second player data from at least a second transmitter deviceassociated with at least a second spotter of the golf tournament, thesecond spotter being associated with at least a second player of thegolf tournament, wherein the second player data is related to status ofa second golf ball played by the second player at a second location ofthe golf course after the second golf ball has been hit by the secondplayer, wherein the first location is different than the secondlocation; and selectively transmitting at least some of one or more ofthe first player data and the second player data to a handheld device ina format permitting the handheld device to display selectivelytransmitted player data according to formatted screens.
 13. The methodof claim 12, further comprising transmitting historical performance dataof particular players in the golf tournament to the handheld device in aformat permitting display of the historical performance data on thehandheld device according to a formatted screen.
 14. The method of claim13, further comprising deriving the historical performance data fromstatistical player data transmitted to the server, the historicalperformance data being associated with particular holes of the golfcourse.
 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising formatting thehistorical performance data in a format permitting display of statisticsrelating to the total number of birdies, pars, and/or bogies scored by apredetermined player on one or more holes of the golf course on thehandheld device.
 16. The method of claim 12, further comprisingtransmitting endorsement information of manufacturers of equipment usedby players of the golf tournament in a format permitting display on thehandheld device according to a formatted equipment screen.
 17. Themethod of claim 13, further comprising formatting the historicalperformance data in a format permitting display of comments regarding aparticular hole of the golf course from one or more players of the golftournament on the handheld device.
 18. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising transmitting a map of the golf course for display on thehandheld device such that the formatted screens are configured todisplay location and distance information of at least one of the firstgolf ball and the second golf ball relative to the map on the handhelddevice.
 19. The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving videofootage associated with a notable shot by a particular player in thegolf tournament; and transmitting the video footage for display on thehandheld device upon receiving a request from the handheld device. 20.The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the one or moreportions of the first and second data to the handheld device for displayon the handheld device upon the server receiving a request from thehandheld device.
 21. The method of claim 12, further comprisingtransmitting the one or more portions of the first and second data tothe handheld device for display on the handheld device in real timeduring the golf tournament.
 22. A system of gathering and transmittinggolf tournament information, comprising: a server, the server beingconfigured to: receive first player data input into a first spottertransmitter device at a first location during a golf tournament; receivesecond player data input into a second spotter transmitter device at asecond location during the golf tournament different than the firstlocation; and wherein the server is configured to receive the firstplayer data and the second player data from the first spottertransmitter device and the second spotter transmitter device after thefirst player data and the second player data has been input to the firstspotter transmitter device and the second spotter transmitter device,respectively, and wherein the server is configured to selectivelytransmit at least some of one or more of the first player data and thesecond player data to a handheld device in a format permitting thehandheld device to display selectively transmitted player data accordingto formatted screens.